Fire Burns
by Type12
Summary: There are three things in my life, which I both love, and regret. One of which, is that I have red hair, which burns about my head in a fiery inferno. The next is that I have a complete and utter infatuation with butterscotch fudge, which results in me not being as thin as I would like. The last, is that my best friends are the Marauders, which is a danger in itself. Jily.
1. The first unexpected change

**So, this story is yet another Jily fanfic, (3) but James and Lily met when they were 10, and they're best friends. Then of course the Marauders come into the mix, and there is some Voldemort and evil stuff added here and there. There are brief scenes from before year 6, (which is the year the story will be based in), but will slow down once it reaches their sixth year.**

**Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.**

**Please enjoy, feel free to give me any pointers, advice, and feedback. **

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Well, I suppose I'd better start at the beginning. I guess there's no better way to begin this than telling you all the gruesome details. They aren't terribly important, so I guess I could leave them to explain another time.

Oh, who am I kidding? They are probably the most significant details of my life. In a bad way. By the way, my name is Lily Evans. I'm sixteen, in my sixth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Oh yes, and I'm a witch.

Why am I telling you this? Any rational person would leave out their whole life story when the receiver is an inanimate object. I guess if I'm going to be writing in this diary, _ahem... _Journal.. I'd better do it properly.

So, prepare yourself for the nauseating, traumatic story which is that of Lily Evans.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

My life took its first turn for evil when I went to the _Sweet Treats _candy store, around the corner from my house. If I hadn't gone to the candy shop that day, I would probably be a hell of a lot less mad than I am now.

So there I was. Ten years old. About to meet the greatest downfall in my life today.

A bad habit of mine that I'd rather not have, is my complete and utter infatuation with butterscotch fudge. I try desperately to refrain from eating the gloriousness of the creaminess and utter deliciousness, but it's hopeless. Everyone has to have a weakness, hey? Unfortunately, mine is one which my friends find great satisfaction in bribing me to do stupid stunts, or spy missions. Of course, I always agree. I NEED my butterscotch fudge. And hey, no one ever said happiness is easy!

Happiness. Bah, it's overrated. Mine became horrendously changed on the first day of term in my first year at Hogwarts. But that's not where this story begins. Oh no, this story begins in a candy shop. And while it may be horribly embarrassing to have to explain my naïve ten-year old self, it must be done, for the greater good of all men.

I'm procrastinating again, aren't I?

Oh, right. Candy shop. Turn for evil. Got it.

"Lily, for the last time, I am not buying you two packets of fudge! One is bad enough," scolded my mother, reaching out to return one packet of my beautiful butterscotch fudge to the shelf.

"Please mum!' I whined, clutching her skirt desperately. 'I need it! It keeps me alive!"

A slight frown crept onto her face, and she pointed over to another section of the candy store. How was I supposed to know where? After all, I had only ever been in the fudge aisle.

"Get something else," she said, "Something smaller, like a couple of lemon drops."

I knew for a fact that she would rather that I had copied Petunia's decision. Nothing. She didn't even want a stupid toffee! Something about perfect teeth, and some crappy diet.

Oh well, it's her loss.

I slumped my shoulders in defeat, and moved to find another aisle. My mother punched the air in triumph, then eyed me, making sure I didn't sneak back.

I dragged my feet through aisles, glancing angrily at the candy around me, which seemed to laugh about my loss of fudge.

"It really is such a shame to see a face as pretty as yours look so upset."

I turned my head with a raised eyebrow, to see a boy leaning against the shelf to my right. His arms were crossed in a casual way, and the smirk on his face was one which made my cheeks turn rather red. I know, stupid, right? I soon learnt my mistake.

He smirked when he saw my red face, and said cheekily,

"Aren't you supposed to say I'm handsome?"

I surveyed him carefully. Sure, he was good-looking, but totally big-headed about it. He sported messy black hair, which looked like he purposely messed it up. It stuck up at the back, and – well, it stuck up _everywhere._ His eyes were a warm hazel colour, with evident flecks of green and gold. They stared unashamedly at me, his eyes lingering on my vibrant red hair, which I had forever wished was blonde like Petunia's. He had a pretty good body himself, well, for a ten-year old. From what I could fathom as a ten-year old myself, he wasn't a bad-looking bloke.

"I'm sorry, my mother taught me to never tell lies," I said, throwing him back an equally big smile. His grin didn't waver, in fact, it widened considerably. He chuckled, and stuck out a hand for me to shake.

"I'm James Potter, pleased to meet you."

"Lily Evans, though I can't say the same about you," I replied casually, shaking his hand. James merely chuckled.

"Lily Evans," he repeated, eyeing me carefully. "I like you."

I almost smiled, but thought better of it, and shrugged.

"Are you a muggle?" he asked eagerly, staring at me with wide eyes. I blinked in confusion. _A muggle? What's a muggle? _I thought, wracking my brains for a meaning.

"What's a muggle?" I asked out loud, wondering if it was some code word for 'butterscotch fudge lover', or something.

He sighed in disappointment, the grin gone from his face.

"Bugger," he said.

"What's a muggle?" I repeated.

There was a struggle evident in his face, obviously about whether he should tell me. He shrugged his shoulders after quite a bit of foot shuffling.

"Nothing, doesn't matter."

I decided to let it pass, and showed him my packet of heavenliness.

"Butterscotch fudge," I whispered reverently.

"Um, okay?" he said, "What about it?"

"It's magical," I replied, hugging it to my body.

A wave of astonishment passed over his face, before disappearing.

"I sure wish _you _were magical," he blurted out suddenly, then scolded himself hastily. Now it was his turn to turn red, to which I chuckled a bit.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and laughed when his mouth opened and closed a few times.

"Nothing, doesn't matter," I mimicked.

He smirked. All in all, I decided that I liked him too. Not like _that, _don't be stupid. But he was easy enough to get along with, and was fairly entertaining to talk to, even if he was annoying. And big-headed. And full of himself.

My arm shot out to grab one of the chocolate eclairs from behind him, and he winced.

"I wasn't going to hit you, if that's what you thought."

"I... I knew that!" He cried, ruffling his hair with his hand.

_Sure. _I thought. I didn't say anything, better to preserve his manly dignity. I examined the chocolate eclair doubtfully, but decided to give it a go. There's always a first time for everything, I guess.

"Well, I must be off. My mother is taking me and Tuney out for dinner," I said, wringing my hands, itching to get away from him. He didn't ask about Petunia, who I had nicknamed Tuney ever since I had begun to talk.

I made to move away, but James grabbed onto my arm. His face was a mixture of astonishment and dismay, as he said, "Will I see you again, Lily?"

I thought about it.

"Every Thursday I come here to stock up on butterscotch fudge at eleven. Just thought you should know," I said, and made my way back to the counter once he had released me. I felt his eyes on my back as I walked away, and was glad when I was finally dragged out of the shop by my mother.

Obviously, I didn't expect him to actually turn up to meet me here on Thursday, after all, I had only just met him.

But what was a _Muggle? _

_Muggle..._

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"How about you don't get anything for the week, huh?" my mother said, as I eagerly opened the door to _Sweet Treats. _"You have a dentist appointment next week, so, maybe no sugar?"

I laughed. There was no way that my mother would be able to stop me from eating sugar for a whole week, especially as my mother had now restricted my weekly visits to once every _two_ weeks, can you believe that?

"Fudge is magic, mother, not sugar," I told her, to which she sighed, but did not admit to defeat. She tightened her ponytail in irritation, making her red hair, which she had passed on to me, almost seem to raise her forehead.

"I'm serious, Lily, no sugar," she said, her lips tightening, as they always did when she had made up her mind about something.

I groaned. That meant no fudge for at least three weeks, what was I going to live on?

I was about to give an angry reply, when a cheerful voice broke off my concentration. "Hullo, Lily Evans."

I turned to see the Potter boy from the week before, standing with a nervous sort of smile on his face. _Oh, _I thought.

"Uh, hi," I squeaked out, horribly aware that my mother was looking curiously between us.

"Lily, who's this?" my mother inquired.

"James Potter, very pleased to meet you," James said smoothly, extending a hand for my mother to shake. My mother smiled, obviously having approved of James, to which I thought was honestly kind of silly.

"I was wondering if Lily Evans could come to have some ice cream with me and my mother. You could come along too," he told her, his eyes wide and eager. I could see my mother falling in love with the womaniser, so-called James Potter, (not _literally, _of course), so I was not altogether surprised when she agreed happily.

So, my mother and I went for ice cream with James Potter and his parents. Unfortunately, we found we had a lot in common.

Even more unfortunate, was that we... Ended up being best friends. So that's how it all started, I became sucked in to the world of pranking and immatureness, and my story took a completely different path to how I had expected.

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**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. :)**

**x i felt like saying hi**


	2. My guard-dog

**Hip hip hooray, I got another chapter done... Sorry, I am quite known for being a hideously slow updater, or for abandoning a story three chapters through, but I am determined to FINISH this one! Ha!**

**Thank you to the beautiful and lovely people who are now following this story, honestly, I really needed the motivation! **

**I do not own Harry Potter, nor do intend to.**

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My whole brain went numb as I stared at the letter I clutched in my hand. There was no way, I mean, I was just an ordinary girl, and an antisocial bookworm at that. Of course, I fully deemed it _credible _that such a thing as Hogwarts actually existed, in fact, I had seen plenty enough proof. James often could be seen, when he couldn't see me spying on him, levitating inches off the ground with a laugh, then dropping back down again. The first time, I had been dumbstruck, but I never mentioned it to him, and began to accept it. I suppose that I was always hoping that there was something else. Something different from the dreary human life that bustles around with as little happiness or integrity as Vernon Dursley, the fat walrus of a man whom Petunia had grown rather fond of.

Besides, there was always something different about James. He would always let something slip, just like the first time I had met him, and he told me that he wished I was magical. I would always try to figure him out, to discover what madness he possessed to come up with such words as _Quidditch, Muggle, _and _Dumbledore._ However he seemed determined to keep whatever it was a secret. What warmed my heart about it, was that every time, I could tell that he did it to protect me, just like he always did. The neighbourhood bullies had become the smallest worry on my mind, even though James was eleven, and they were fourteen. He was always such a tornado of strength, and at the risk of sounding clichéd, I don't know what I'd do without him.

As often as I thought it, he would say it. He was a lot more open when it came to showing affection. His hugs were warm and comfortable, and holding his hand was a source of determination and courage for me. But despite all that, he never said 'I love you', even though I knew he did, just like I loved him, because we were best friends. Hell, we were siblings!

But the letter was different. James was always special, but I wasn't. I'm not trying to sound modest, because I'm not. James had always been the one to stand up for me, even when I knew that I could handle them myself. I'm not particularly pretty, with a freckled face, high cheekbones, an upturned nose, almond-shaped emerald-green eyes, and flaming red hair, which burns about my head like a fiery inferno. I'm not special. Every time I mention this to James, he just looks at me, almost pleadingly, and tells me that I am. With the confidence that rings clear from his voice, I am almost tempted to believe him.

So as the letter fluttered to my feet like a feather, I cried out with happiness, and what I deemed was hope. I hoped and wished so so so hard, that this was not some sort of joke, that this was the real thing.

My mother was overjoyed, my father proud, but I felt so empty when I saw Petunia's reaction. She looked so uncaring, so empty of anything good. And there was the jealousy. Always the jealousy.

And James. As my mother drove me all the way to the Potter mansion, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, because somehow I knew he was going to Hogwarts too. The days of the floating were really going to mean something significant now.

Dorea answered the door. I gave her the biggest hug I could manage, then began to sprint all the way up the stairs to get to James' room. I could hear my mother beginning to explain to Dorea, who was chuckling at my antics. I didn't get to hear her reaction, for I was too far up the stairs to hear.

I burst open the door, to see James sitting on his bed, his head leaning against the headboard glumly. Sure enough, there was a letter similar to mine sitting on his bedside table. His head jerked upwards as his door flung open, and he looked at me in astonishment.

"Lily?"

He moved hurriedly to move his own Hogwarts letter out of my sight, but I laughed, and held up my own. He just stared, unblinking, his hazel eyes so large I thought they would pop out. He moved off his bed and grabbed the letter, which he scanned intently, after which he looked up at me.

I gave him another wide grin.

"I know that you're a wizard, Jae. I have ever since I saw you floating. And now I can come with you!"

Instead of smiling, which I though would be his reaction, he burst into tears, which was extremely rare for him. I was heartbroken, could it be that he didn't want me to come to Hogwarts to him? Before I could start to cry too, he moved forwards and gripped me in a hug, and I knew that it was all okay.

"I was so scared Lily, I was so afraid," he whispered.

"What do you mean?"

He took his time thinking, before saying, "I always thought you were a witch, but I started to get worried, because you hadn't got your letter, and... and I was just so scared that you weren't really a witch, and I... and I... and I thought that I would have to leave you behind."

Then he kissed my hair in a brotherly way, and pulled back, all traces of tears gone. His eyes were lit up with delight and relief, and I grinned to know that he really did care, even though I am nothing special. Then he laughed, and swung me around in a circle, letting out a whoop of excitement as he did so. I laughed, and so did he. We just laughed for a few minutes, savouring each other's company, and holding onto the fact that we wouldn't have to leave each other. Not yet.

"Run, run! You're going to miss the train!" Mrs Potter cried, shooing us towards the barrier to platform 9 ¾. I started to run towards the wall, just like James had instructed me to, and closed my eyes. I waited anxiously for the jolt of impact, but none came. When I had opened them, I sighed in relief, because I was through.

James and Mrs Potter followed a couple of seconds after, as I was admiring the black Hogwarts express with awe.

"Cool, huh?" James said, as he appeared next to me. All I could do was nod.

"Go!" cried Mrs Potter. I was jolted out of my stupor, and turned to give her a hug.

"Goodbye Mrs Potter."

"Must I say it again? Call me Dorea!" She replied with a laugh.

I smiled. "Thank you Dorea," I corrected myself.

"Make sure to keep my James out of trouble," she whispered.

James scoffed beside me. Dorea released me to give her son a hug, and kissed him on the cheek. After a quick exchange of farewells, Dorea ushered us towards the train, just as it began to rumble.

"This is it," I half whispered, "I'm really going to Hogwarts."

James laughed, and gave me a fond smile. We had been friends for over a year, best friends, and when I had received my Hogwarts letter, I had never seen James look more happy. He had told me all about magic, and Hogwarts after that, lending me all the spell books and scrolls in his house, which I read eagerly. He had told me about the four houses of Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. To me, each of them were special, however he seemed determined to be sorted into Gryffindor, _'where dwell the brave at heart'._

Of course, I was so excited to be going to Hogwarts, even if my sister was jealous, and refusing to talk to me. I was just worried that I wouldn't be in the same house as James, or that he would find a better friend, and not want to be friends with me anymore. I knew that James would never do such a thing, because he was the most loyal person I knew, but it didn't stop me from worrying.

On the train, most of the compartments were full, which became irritating, as I was hauling a heavy trunk along behind me.

"Lils, over here," James called out. He was peering out from a compartment, a cheeky grin stretched onto his face. I cheered in response, and dragged my trunk towards him.

There were two boys already in the compartment, both of which I had a chance to look at after I had sat down next to James, opposite the two boys, who seemed to be having a heated discussion over the cards in their hands.

One of the boys was lounging carelessly with his feet on the seat, while the other had a small part of the seat, but he didn't seem to mind. He had bright amber eyes, messy sandy blonde hair, and more than one scar on his pale, freckled face. He was quite thin, but seemed to make up for it with a wide, cheerful smile. An open book sat on his lap, so I had a feeling that we would get along quite well.

The other boy was completely different in looks, and it seemed, personality also. He was, well, I have to admit, he was _gorgeous. _His intimidating grey eyes, and shaggy, yet elegant black hair both did him justice. He was tall and lean, with a careless look to his expression.

He looked up to study James and I, and suddenly stood from where he rested on the seat, and moved towards me to introduce himself. A charming smirk was plastered onto his face, and once the boy had stopped in front of the two of us, I felt James' hand nudge against my own.

"Sirius Black, pleased to meet you," he said out casually, "Who would like the honour of shaking my hand first?"

James did with a grin, and I did after, by which time the boy with the amber eyes had appeared beside him.

"Remus Lupin, you are?"

I shook his hand, about to say my name, when James' voice cut across mine. "This is Lily, and I'm James Potter." He said.

I tutted in annoyance at him for interrupting me, but shoot the boys a warm smile. The boy called Sirius tossed me a box of what look like jellybeans, and I looked up at him in confusion.

"Hey, unless you're planning on being in Slytherin, I don't mind sharing with you and the blind one," he said with a shrug and a smile, at which point James grunted in a mixture of approval and annoyance. "I'm already being robbed by the pig over here, so two more won't make much difference."

Remus grinned sheepishly, and I noticed a few blocks of chocolate nestled behind him. It seemed like I wasn't the only one with an obsession for sugared treats.

James laughed, and seemed to deem the two boys worthy of our attention, as he started to joke and chat with Sirius, while I debated whether Butterscotch fudge was better than chocolate with Remus.

"Don't be stupid," he said with a scoff, "Nothing can beat the creamy taste as the chocolate melts on your tongue, and the smell as you unwrap another bar, and..."

"Nope. I'm afraid you only think chocolate is better because you have been entranced by the normality of the most commonly thought of sweet on the planet. It's just so plain!"

Remus laughed. "My dear Lily, doesn't that show that chocolate really is stupendous, because it's loved and worshipped by so many?"

James' head turned towards us at 'my dear Lily', but seemed to find no immediate danger to me. Honestly, he's like a bloody guard dog, always jumping into action at the smallest of things.

Before I could come up with a reply to Remus, the doors opened, and a slightly plump face popped into view. It was a boy with light blonde hair which was neatly combed, and watery blue eyes which darted back and forth, as if he were searching for danger.

"Can I... can I sit in here?" he stammered out, and we all agree at once. After he had slid onto his seat, we asked him his name, with which he replied 'Peter Pettigrew'.

I could find no fault in the boy, but there was a sort of simpleness to his look, a look which made me want to think that he was... well. A bit stupid. Nevertheless, he was easy enough to get along with, even if he did stammer occasionally.

It's funny to remember that first train ride, because it was the train ride which brought us all together. We are different in so many ways, alike in so many more. If there's one thing I know, it's that those likenesses will keep us together, keep us loyal to each other, until the day we are all brought to the ground.

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**Hihihihihi! Thank you increasingly, exceedingly much for making it to the end! I LUV YU!**

**No really, I love you.**

**x i felt like saying hi**

**Ohohoh, if I change from past to present tense anywhere that I am not aware of, please to feel free to inform me of it.**

**xox**


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